Since 2004

On FPPF’s Photography Workshop, Part 1

My interest in attending the FPFF (Federation OF Philippine Photographers Foundation) photography workshop started last year, probably late in 7 month hiatus from employment. My older brother who attended the basic photography workshop a few years back has scanned my work online, which he also showed to their company photographer, and both of them agreed I can skip the basic photography classes, and just go for the advanced photography one they’re offering. So, one Sunday morning, off I went to Fort Santiago, and was posed this a question (or something like it): What is the shutter speed you should use so as not to introduce camera shake when taking photos? I think I said tripod, but the right answer is: you should use speeds equal or faster than 1/focal length.

So, I went off to Shanghai to work for a year, and since I had some sort of fund for activities like these, I arranged my registration for workshop ahead of my arrival in the Philippines.

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The first day of Batch 10 of the FPPF’s 2006 Basic Photography Workshop was promising, especially for myself, who’d probably have this weekly workshop as my most social activity throughout an entire week. Every participant had a few minutes on the floor to introduce themselves, and as un-eloquent as I was, yes, I mentioned toy cameras + vintage cameras again, which probably left 5/6 of the class either uninterested or possessive of a brow-raised expression.

Yes, people, unlike you who are more than passionate to take photos of your kids, or have considered the profit-making machine called the wedding phtotogaphy business, I started out photography because I had artsy-fartsy tendencies.

After camera handling and operation basics from Sir Ador Pamintuan, we had an afternoon shoot around Fort Santiago. Despite the venue’s history-rich aspect, and the drama that a slight drizzle was giving the greenery of the place, I easily deemed this was a difficult shoot.

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Second week, photo submission time:

There was a three-way tie for the best photo for the first week’s shoot, and the photo above was part of it. Most of Sunday’s lessons were given out by who would easily be the most memorable personality from the workshop instructors: Ma’am Cecilia Angeles. She: made us sing an ode-to-photography song. Uhm, not once! Not even twice! You get the picture. This was a moment of pure nostalgia, as memory fragments of high school have suddenly manifested itself. Don’t get me wrong though: Ma’am Angeles’s humor, wit, and overall persona is nothing short of amazing. Her stories don’t disappoint either.